# rhetorical

/ɹɪˈtɔɹɪkəɫ/ (US) · /ɹɛtˈɒɹɪkəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/rhetorical
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. a question not needing an answer

adjective · CEFR B2

describing a question you ask to make a point, not because you want an answer.

For teachers: describing a question asked for dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to elicit information.

- When he asked 'Who do you think you are?', it was a rhetorical question.
- The speaker used a series of rhetorical questions to challenge the audience's assumptions without requiring them to speak aloud.

Usage: Almost always used to modify the noun 'question'.

Teaching tip: Learners often confuse this with 'sarcastic'; explain that while it can be sarcastic, the core meaning is about the lack of a required answer.

### 2. related to persuasion

adjective · CEFR C1 · Academic

related to the skill of using language to persuade or impress people.

For teachers: relating to the art or study of rhetoric; used to describe techniques of persuasion in speech or writing.

- The politician used many rhetorical tricks to win the crowd's support.
- The essay was a masterpiece of rhetorical skill, balancing emotional appeals with logical evidence to sway the undecided voters.

Usage: Commonly used in academic analysis of speeches or literature.

### 3. insincere or empty

adjective · CEFR C2 · Formal

describing language that sounds impressive but is not sincere or honest.

For teachers: characterised by insincere or grandiloquent language that lacks substance or earnestness.

- The company's promise to help the environment felt like rhetorical talk.
- Critics dismissed the leader's speech as purely rhetorical, arguing that it offered no concrete solutions to the economic crisis.

Teaching tip: This sense carries a negative nuance, suggesting that the speaker is 'all talk' and no action.

## Examples

- He asked a rhetorical question that nobody needed to answer.
- The politician used several rhetorical devices to make his speech more memorable and persuasive to the voters.
- The essay was filled with rhetorical flourishes that, while stylistically impressive, ultimately failed to address the core logical fallacies of the author's primary argument.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.